ODU's Taylor takes empathetic approach to Bazemore arrest, incident

Eighteen hours after one of the most bizarre experiences of his coaching career, Old Dominion's Blaine Taylor took a sympathetic and philosophical approach in discussing the game-time arrest the night before of player Kent Bazemore.

Taylor didn't criticize Bazemore, nor did he show any outward disappointment after the senior was taken away by Virginia Beach police for violations stemming from a DUI charge last August, just prior to Wednesday's tournament loss to Mercer at the Constant Center.

"As a parent and educator," Taylor said, "there's many times when you come into work and all of a sudden there's something that happens that you have to deal with. It usually goes back to human nature and the failings that are our very makeup, and so you work through that. You cling to your strengths and you work on your weaknesses, and that's the human experience."

In a hastily called news conference Thursday afternoon in the ODU athletic administration building, Taylor said that Bazemore was extremely apologetic and contrite in a face-to-face meeting that morning. Bazemore did not make himself available for comment.

Taylor said he was informed just minutes before tipoff that Virginia Beach police were at the Constant Center and that Bazemore would be unavailable due to a legal issue. He had no knowledge of the original incident, nor of his player's looming legal problems.

Bazemore's arrest was tied to failure to comply with court orders following a charge of driving under the influence last August in Virginia Beach. His arrest warrant was for "revocation for a suspended sentence-DUI."

"Had we known that Kent was in the trouble he was in, we would have advised him to handle matters differently," ODU athletic director Wood Selig said. "It's unfortunate that we were unaware of what had transpired and what continued to go on, legally. We're sorry and certainly disappointed that Kent put himself in that position, but we're going to work with him and work with all of the authorities to make sure that this gets back on track and everything gets rectified."

According to Virginia Beach police information officer Grazia Moyers, Bazemore never registered with the Alcohol Safety Action Protection (ASAP) program, required following a DUI conviction. She said that he ignored multiple letters reminding him of the requirements.

She said the department's services division and warrants unit received the paperwork on Bazemore's case Feb. 27 and sent another letter, telling him that he needed to turn himself in for non-compliance. She said that he ignored that letter, as well.

"Unfortunately, we had to deal with a lot of people calling us and complaining that you waited until the game," Moyers said. "No. This young man had plenty of opportunities since last September to comply with what the court has ordered him to do, in reference to his original charge."

Though the timing of Bazemore's arrest appeared curious, Moyers said that the volume of arrest warrants and the severity of the crime often change priorities and delay the pursuit of those with lesser charges. Bazemore's charge was classified as a misdemeanor.

"We send out letters and we give people plenty of opportunity," Moyers said. "Did the guys downstairs in our warrant squad know who he is? No clue. I don't know if they know who he is.

"The letters go out. He was given the opportunity to turn himself in. He didn't. That's when we received a phone call: Hey, if you're looking for Bazemore, this is where he's going to be."

Given that Bazemore is a fifth-year senior just weeks away from graduating, Taylor said that there is little that the program or school can do to discipline him. He said that had he been aware of the original incident or the mounting legal problems, he certainly would have disciplined Bazemore.

"I think what Kent did, if you look at human nature," Taylor said, "I think he tried to discreetly, quietly handle the situation. I think that was what his attempt was."

Taylor did express some surprise that in an age of pervasive social media that Bazemore's predicament never came to light.

As for whether he should have known, Taylor said, "I guess I'm one of about 2 million people in Hampton Roads who didn't."

"I think Kent saw the situation," Taylor said. "Had it become a thing of greater awareness, we would have dealt with it more publicly. But for whatever reason, it didn't. And as time has gone by, I think in his wishful world he thought that he could deal with it, own up to it, handle the legal side of it and not have to deal with the fallout or the penalties that he's paying right now with you, (which) is a pretty heavy penalty."

Bazemore, a 6-foot-5 wing, was first-team All-CAA and the face of the program this season. He was ODU's leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game. He overcame foot surgery last summer, coincidentally just about the same time as his DUI arrest, and played his best basketball the final six weeks of the season.

"He made a mistake," Taylor said. "I think when you deal with people at a formative time in their life, mistakes will be made, lessons will be learned, life will go on, with a little more wisdom."

NORFOLK — Five minutes before tipoff, Old Dominion coach Blaine Taylor was told that his best player, all-conference wing Kent Bazemore, would not be available. Thus began a peculiar night in which the Monarchs did nearly everything but win.

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